Dragons Dilemma: Bloodlines and Bloodties
by crystal-tokyo-princess
Summary: Centuries into the aftermath of Pern's great pandemic, families still refuse Search. The fate of faltering Fort Weyr rests on political machination. Can Fort overcome prejudices to meet the next Pass?  Set before the Seventh Pass.
1. Chapter 1

**Dragons Dilemma: Bloodlines and Blood ties**

Chapter 1  
><em>Gather at Keroon Hold, Early Autumn in the late Sixth Interval<em>

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><p>Esrene resolutely quelled the muscles threatening to drag her lips into an irritable grimace as she glanced over her cards at the tall man leaning indolently against a stack of crates at the entrance of the tent, watching her. She quickly glanced away, back to the pot of marks in front of her on the table. Was it really so unladylike to play poker at a gather? Was that why he was there, watching her so intently? Or was it something else entirely?<p>

It wasn't as if her father's gamesters were at this autumnal Keroon gather, and it wasn't as if she was with unsavory sorts. True, she was playing cards with lowbred folk who worked with runners … but then they seemed the only folk she didn't completely outclass at poker. It seemed less criminal to play with them than some of the more easily offended holderfolk, and besides, they were good-natured, good company and they weren't drunk.

"Lady?"

It was her turn again.

She glanced to the previous player's entry into the pot, and then back at her cards. She had a high flush and potentially an easy win. Scrounging a few quarter-mark pieces out of the rather immodest mountain of marks she'd accrued, she tossed them into the pot.

"Double."

There were a few appreciative remarks and whistles from onlookers, all of which Esrene ignored in favor of glaring over her cards at the man watching her. The jockeys and stablehands constituting the majority of players and spectators hadn't seemed the least bit annoyed or irritated by his presence, having in fact invited him to join a hand or two. The man had respectfully declined. They had probably deduced from his demeanor that he was a dragonrider, but his audacity to stare at her the entire time had put her off completely. It was only when she had faintly heard his dragon's rejoinders about manners and staring that she had realized he was a dragonrider.

The dealer called for them to display their cards. She carefully settled her flush on the surface in front of her, and then she glanced around at the other players' hands. That should do it; no one had anything to rival her hand.

"And the lady from Bitra wins again!" said their dealer. There was a mixture of groans and laughter from players and spectators alike. Although she wasn't surprised by such responses, they always tended to amuse her. However, today she wasn't nearly as amused as she was apt to be.

"Don't worry, gentlemen," she said as she collected her winnings, placing them in the shoulder satchel she wore for such reasons. "I believe I'm finished here today, and several of you ought to get back to work!"

Patting her satchel with one hand, she waggled her finger at one or two of the stablehands and offered a jovial, jaunty wink to one of the jockeys. These actions were met with chuckles from the crowd. Then, after standing, she offered a deep curtsy to her hosts. Amidst farewells and well wishes, she made her way to the tent's exit, pausing to say, "I'll use some of these winnings to send you lot down something choice from the dinner roasts. I'll find the right cook to discretely pass your fair share of marks to."

That, at least, was how Lady Esrene of Bitra Hold paid back those she took from in gambling at gathers. It had worked enough times at various gathers. Perhaps that was why her father let her wander off on her own, but then she was also a tall, fit young woman and not an easy target – except, perhaps, for a dragonrider.

As she brushed past busy stablehands and managers, she felt the dragonrider's presence and could hear his dragon's chiding litany against following her. As the picket lines cleared way to pathways from the racing flats to the Hold proper and the assembled gather square, he caught up to her by virtue of his much longer legs. He did not speak immediately.

"Why have you followed me, dragonrider?" she queried, not glancing at him, her head held high on her slender neck. Sensibility and decorum led her to slow her pace to the more mincing, ladylike gait someone her station should maintain or at least feign. If she walked too fast, someone might get the wrong idea, something that she had no desire for people to believe - that she had been off trysting with a dragonrider. Holder girls were warned early of the dangers of dragonmen, and she meant not to ruin her reputation beyond her gambling hobby. The prospects for marriage were few for a Bitran Lord's daughters, even those born of a Ruathan mother. Prejudices remained strong against the Bitran line despite what her father had done to improve its image. Then again, prejudices were still strong against Telgar Weyr, although few exactly knew its transgressions of the previous Pass.

The dragonman did not immediately respond, but he did slow his pace to match hers, although his was an indolent, cross-armed dawdle rather than the mince of a holder Lady. "Well, it's a bit of a long story," he drawled at length, "but it comes down to my dragon sensing something at this gather, a slight power, Lady Esrene of Bitra Hold, and that something I believe is you."

"Is that so?"

"Wingleader L'shev of Fort Weyr at your service," he replied promptly with a slight bow, the action instigating a sideways glance from Esrene, "son of Ista's Lord Lerton. Former Harper. Rider of bronze Ulminth, who not too long ago flew our junior queen. She began to clutch last night, and at about noon in the east, Faranth be praised, she laid a gold. I'm surprised you hadn't heard the news."

"I try to spend my time at gathers away from the gossipers, social speculators and rumormongers, which is why I spend it away from my sisters," Esrene replied swiftly. Her maternal aunt, Benden's Weyrwoman, had told her of the clutching that morning when she, the Weyrleader and their brownrider son had blithely conveyed her father, mother, two younger sisters, an elder brother and Esrene to the gather.

The bronzerider laughed. Esrene stopped on the path; the bronzerider followed her example.

"I did hear of the clutching, this morning. You may know my aunt?"

He tilted his head, giving her a slightly confused look.

"Weyrwoman Hilaina, of Benden."

"Oho! So you have Ruathan blood."

Esrene nodded once, curtly, and continued along the path. "Yes, I have Ruathan blood."

"That, perhaps, explains Ulminth's excitement when he landed."

Esrene glanced sidelong at him now and, tilting her head somewhat arrogantly, favored him with a sardonic smirk. "Yes, I have Ruathan blood. Yes, Ruathan women oft go off to the Weyr and become goldriders. What makes Ulminth so certain that I have what it takes to be a goldrider?"

"I'd say, eventually … Weyrwoman," he told her. Following this was a brief pause as he glanced up at the Keroon fireheights where his dragon must have been sunning. If there was an exchange from the dragon, she did not hear it. "Ulminth is sleeping, but he told me he suspected you could hear and speak to all dragons."

Esrene flushed faintly. "I can, to some extent. Their voices aren't very strong unless I'm very physically close to them or whomever they speak to. It's more that I _feel_ them, and then occasionally I hear them. My mother could hear all dragons, to the point where being at a Weyr nearly drove her insane. Something changed, though, and it isn't nearly so unbearable for her, now."

It was L'shev's turn to stop in his tracks. "Have your sisters this talent?"

"None of them do. One of my younger brothers is a greenrider at Benden, though," Esrene replied.

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen, almost twenty."

"Young enough to stand for a clutch, and maybe more—"

"In an Interval?" Esrene interrupted dubiously, finally stopping. She turned to face him, her expression incredulous.

"We're at the end of this Interval, soon enough. Ten turns, maybe less, if the records are correct," he began and she nodded in reply to his assessment. As she was about to respond, he held up his hand and interrupted, "Listen, Weyrwoman Dervana is nearing an age when her queen will stop rising sometime before the Pass begins. Fort's other goldrider, Choshara is childish and lazy, and it was a miracle she forced Loramath not to gorge before she rose this time. Seventeen eggs this time, though, with a gold. So Fort would have three golds, and I wouldn't put it past Wyaleth to clutch another gold the next time she rises."

"And just what does this have to do with me?"

"Listen, you're an intelligent woman, physically fit, and of age to Impress. Your mother is of Ruathan blood. Your aunt is a Weyrwoman. You can, even if it's a limited ability, hear all dragons. If you can play the political game half as well as you played poker back there with those stablehands and jockeys, you could make an incredibly strong Weyrwoman, and that is what Fort Weyr will need to weather what this next Pass will bring. Speaking frankly, after the plague of the last Pass hit some of the holderfolk so hard, it's been hard even in the Interval to Search some areas. Most holders want to keep their promising girls to marry off or entertain the Lord Holder with, for holder daughters having the half-Blood bastard offspring of a Lord can bring prestige and gifts to the family, and they want to keep their promising boys to till and harvest the fields. Once, having a dragonrider in the family was prestigious, but now these common holders would rather have their daughters overbear bastards for uncaring Lords."

With that, he gently cupped a hand beneath her elbow to guide her forward. She discretely shook him off but continued on the path to the Hold proper. She was deep in thought, and both bronzerider and Lady remained silent as they continued along the path.

Finally, Esrene broke the silence. "I think my aunt would be amenable to me going to Fort Weyr as a candidate. Benden already has five junior golds. What would I have to worry about?"

"Fort's Weyrleader has a contender in mind for that gold egg. Like you, she can hear all dragons, only her ability ... she's much stronger with it, can speak to any dragon on Pern no matter the distance if she tries hard enough. She's strong-willed. She's manipulative. She's ... she has the sort of beauty few men can resist. Yet, she's completely devoted to Weyrleader Br'tem."

Esrene frowned. "Then what chance have I against that?"

"Honestly, I have no idea, but Br'tem is a terrible Weyrleader. I'm positive Br'tem will be here with Thalena this evening. Someone other than Br'tem needs to lead Pern into the Pass. Dervana won't be long as Weyrwoman as I've told you. Choshara would never be an effective Weyrwoman, and Thalena would be a disaster as a Weyrwoman."

"How do you know so much about this Thalena woman?"

"She's my much younger half-sister. This summer she was fostered to Fort Hold, presumably at Br'tem's advice. I'm certain something is up between Lord Lerton of Ista, Lord Tolorem of Fort, and Br'tem."

"Another dragon arriving," noted Esrene softly, feeling the arrival of a dragon from _between_ and hearing the echoes of L'shev and Ulminth's conversation.

"That's Dawsath, with Br'tem … and he's carrying Thalena with him. Go quickly to bribe the cooks to taking your runner-loving gamblers some choice bits of roast. I must meet my family. I'll bring a wing to Bitra Hold in a sevenday or two, with Search dragons. Good evening!"

With that, they parted paths.

* * *

><p>L'shev had little difficulty finding his father, stepmother and elder brother amidst the din of the gather, for the Lord, Lady and heir of Ista Hold often made their presence a magnanimous spectacle at Gathers. At present, the Harpers were playing Ballads and not the raucous dances so often favored at Gathers these days, and thus it was easy for the Istan entourage to attract attention. Pern's Masterharper was not present at the Keroon gather, bogged down by diplomatic workings between two feuding fishing Holds along the Tillek coast. That, at least, was the scuttlebutt about the gather.<p>

Lord Lerton noticed him first as he approached those gathered about them, and he called out "My son, L'shev, the Wingleader!" as he pulled his son into a surprisingly strong hug. Lord Lerton was well into his sixth decade, but age and activity had treated him well. It was often commented that, though L'shev was significantly taller (although Lerton was not a short man by any means), he was otherwise the spitting image of his handsome father at younger ages, and if that bore any truth, with luck L'shev would age more gracefully than some people did. His brother Lemarus greeted him with a grim smile and then returned to his flirtations with a group of holder girls. Lemarus, although not unattractive, was neither as attractive as his younger brother nor bore the forbidden appeal of being a dragonman.

L'shev then turned his gaze upon Lerton's Lady, Varensa, who being in her mid thirties, was in fact less than a decade older than L'shev. Although her only child by Lord Lerton had been a girl, his only daughter to survive infancy, Lady Varensa's family had profited incredibly by pushing her at him and then having her succeed to the Ladyship of the Hold when L'shev's own mother had died.

When his father released him, L'shev bowed to Lady Varensa. She greeted him pleasantly and warmly, although there was always something beneath her pleasantries that unsettled him, for he knew some of the generalities of her ambitions for her daughter, the Lady Thalena.

"Ulminth is well?" Lady Varensa queried, glancing vaguely in the direction of the fireheights.

"Yes, Lady. I'm sure you heard the news that Loramath clutched well, including the gold egg we have all been waiting for," he told her with a smile, emphasizing choice words to instigate the interest of his father and stepmother, and perhaps to glean more of their plans for Thalena.

"Ulminth has done well for this family, then," Lord Lerton said smoothly, gracing his son with a beaming grin and clapping him on the back. He guided L'shev and Lady Varensa away from the crowd, leaving Lemarus to entertain the women. Many of the men who had gathered around the Istan entourage were slowly dissipating. This was, perhaps, their goal for Lemarus at the gather. "Your younger sister would make an excellent weyrwoman at Fort, I do believe."

"Yes, women trained in the domestic dealings of a Hold will often do well as a weyrwoman," replied L'shev diplomatically, although it was in fact a barb at Lady Varensa. A quick glance at her made L'shev realize that the woman had caught his meaning. Thalena had been taught the basics of domestic management it was true, but more than that, she had been taught to be a cunning and idle manipulator, coercing others into doing the work that should have been hers. Wishing to soften Lady Varensa once more, he smiled at her and then at his father. "Speaking of my dear sister, Weyrleader Br'tem has brought her to the gather from Fort Hold. I'll have Ulminth ask her to come to us."

This did immediately brighten Varensa's mood from where it could have gone after L'shev had nearly baited her. He pulled out a chair for Lady Varensa at the table his father had guided them towards, and his father took the chair beside her. L'shev sat next to his father.

A gather was a show for Thalena, and indeed as she picked her way across the courtyard to them, the crowds quickly parted for the Istan beauty. She glided arm-in-arm with Weyrleader Br'tem to them, the coral-hued dress she wore setting off her tan and the golden glimmer of her blond hair. She was, L'shev grudgingly admitted to himself, an exceptionally gorgeous woman by many standards, having inherited the physical height and facial beauty her petite mother and the hourglass physique their paternal grandmother had sported in her youthful Turns.

As Thalena came to a slow halt in front of them, L'shev felt his cheeks flush faintly with embarrassment and annoyance. This gather dress she wore was borderline scandalous, although it maintained Br'tem's rapt and jealous attention. The burly Weyrleader presented her to her relatives, and she curtsied to them. Br'tem's gaze quickly fell upon her even more exposed cleavage. The perversity of it irritated L'shev, but he fought back his emotions.

"Mother, father," Lady Thalena began in her lilting, caressing tones as her dark eyes sparkled with poorly contained excitement, "I have officially been Searched for the queen egg now hardening on Fort's sands. I am, if these natural gifts I possess are any indication, to be Fort's next weyrwoman."

Lady Varensa, forgetting her station, excitedly pushed out of her seat and grasped her daughter in a tight hug. Weyrleader Br'tem, looking amused, stepped back to let mother and daughter embrace. Thalena sheepishly disentangled herself from her mother and then glanced over at Br'tem. He guided her to an open chair, pulled it out for her and then pushed it in. He sat on the other side of her, so besotted with Thalena that he forgot the courtesy of helping Lady Varensa take a seat. L'shev quickly stood and aided his stepmother back into her seat, and then once more took his chosen spot beside his father.

"So have either of you two ever come across a woman like my daughter, so obvious a choice to become a weyrwoman?" Lerton asked of Br'tem and L'shev as the Harpers struck up another ballad.

L'shev shook his head and glanced over at Br'tem. The man was positively beaming as he stated, "I have never witnessed a woman so capable of speaking to and hearing all dragons without it driving the woman insane. No, Thalena's gifts are extraordinary and unique, and when the Pass arrives, she will be an asset as the Weyr's senior pair."

L'shev said nothing then, glancing about the table with a critical eye. Lord Lerton and Lady Varensa were beaming with pride to have their daughter's talents thus assessed. Thalena had blushed, prettily enough to be sure, beneath her tan at such a compliment. L'shev vaguely wondered if someone could affect such blushing.

"You really think so, Br'tem?" the girl asked him after she had collected herself, her lilt carrying a sensuous undertone and her gaze continued the charade with a faintly fluttering gaze of flirtation.

The conversation then widened to include Lord Lerton and Lady Varensa about their plans for the Hatching, its subject matter quickly disintegrating into an animated conversation between Varensa and Thalena about what Varensa would wear to the Hatching and what Thalena would change into for the feast. The men at the table barely spoke at this juncture of the conversation, although Lerton and Br'tem occasionally made suggestions with Br'tem mentioning his credit with the Masterweaver at Boll.

L'shev remained quiet and contemplative, following the conversation but occasionally losing himself to his thoughts. He wondered if Lady Esrene of Bitra could compete against Thalena's stronger aptitude towards dragons on the Hatching sands. Ulminth, at his urging, was silent on the subject for he did not wish Thalena to know that he objected to her standing. His reverie was interrupted when dinner was announced. Those at his table, as prominent guests of the gather, quickly got up and filed towards the Hold proper for better seating. L'shev excused himself to go sit with the members of his wing.

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: It's been years since I've really written prose and even more years since I've written anything in Pern Fandom. However, I thought I'd try my hand at this subject for entertainment and experimentation. This first chapter I am releasing without a beta for the moment, to see if there is further interest in how the story progresses. The whole of what I have at the moment is something around 15,000 words. If you Beta on and are interested in being a Beta Reader for this story, please contact me. I will be taking a break from this project during the month of November to test the terrifying waters of NaNoWriMo. Although, I'm sure if I get a massive case of writer's block during my foray into my NaNoWriMo story, I'll return to this and plug away at a few words or so!

My goal for this project is to create something interesting, hone my literary style and skills (because both are currently lacking compared to what I had years ago), increase my literary vocabulary (this has also unfortunately decreased after years of flashcards worth of biological and anthropological jargon, as well as thousands of flashcards of foreign language alphabets and words), improve my characterization skills, and test my ability to write interesting plots.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two  
>Keroon Gather and Fort Weyr<p>

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><p>As most members of the Bitran entourage were not favored as prominent guests to the gather, save for the Lord and Lady themselves, Lady Esrene thus found her brownrider cousin and his wingmates, and not coincidentally, they managed to seat themselves at a table with L'shev and his attending wingmates.<p>

These combined riders of Benden and Fort made for an entertaining dinner, and Esrene managed to seat herself beside L'shev. The conversation at the table varied wildly, from exploits at Spring Games between the Weyrs, to various exploits at the Gather, to the exhibition races, to varying types of gambling and betting, to the clutches on the Sands at Telgar Weyr and now Fort Weyr. It swung once in her direction, when L'shev asked after her own successful manipulation of the Keroon Hold cooks (by way of a favorable handful of marks) to feed choice goods to those down at the picket lines. Esrene didn't let on that she had still made a profit from her gambling.

Although she spoke some to L'shev, she spoke also to one of his wingseconds, who sat to her right. M'thei was older than his Wingleader, although he swore his allegiance to the man, stating that L'shev made for a better wingleader and leader of men than Fort's Weyrleader. Most of Weyrleader Br'tem's success came from the uncanny abilities of his dragon, Dawsath. A weyrbred man, M'thei had Impressed at the same clutch as Br'tem.

When the meal was cleared away and many at the table were well drowned in wine, M'thei asked for her hand for one of the first dances. With a glance at L'shev who was speaking to his other wingsecond while downing a glass of wine, she quickly accepted M'thei's offer.

As the brownrider led her to the dancing square for what was a somewhat slow partner dance, he mentioned, "L'shev had Ulminth ask Peramath ask me to ask you to dance, although I would've done so without the prompting. The only caveat here was that I tell you more about the state of Fort Weyr."

Esrene was slightly confused, and her frown gave her away.

"He told me what he did tell you of the situation. I will fill you in beyond that," M'thei said as he took the required stance with her for the traditional dance steps for this tune. As he led her across the floor amidst the countless couples, she nodded for him to continue. "His family is here, so he could not risk dancing with you during the dances it would be easiest to convey information. Our wing will volunteer to Search the east if Weyrwoman Hilaina will consent to our Search."

"Benden has more than enough junior queens. My mother's sister will not mind."

"We will be in Search of boys, though, to appease Br'tem's ego for having 'found' Thalena and to protect L'shev. With the Weyrs producing now more than ever and with ever increasing clutch sizes, Weyrwoman Hilaina may be reluctant."

"I'll slip word to her tonight when we return home. I know she greatly admires Weyrwoman Dervana, but neither she nor her weyrmate can stand Weyrleader Br'tem of Fort. They do not like that he leads the preeminent Weyr of Pern, potentially into a Pass."

M'thei nodded to her, and aided her in a twirl for this particular dance. He leaned in closer to her, although his proximity was not socially improper. "Many of us share that sentiment, but many also see Br'tem and Dawsath's performance in Spring Games as proof that they should be the preeminent leading pair on Pern when the Pass begins, although that's almost a decade away if our records are correct. After the plague, we have lost so much knowledge and so much expertise."

Esrene said nothing, although the expression in her gray eyes let the wingsecond know that she understood him. M'thei continued.

"Truth be told, Thalena will probably Impress that gold on the sands, but if the production of the other Weyrs holds true for Fort, Wyaleth should rise soon as well for she and Loramath share similar cycles, and I think she may lay another queen egg. Perhaps six or seven Turns ago, Wyaleth clutched a queen. Her rider died of childbed fever a few Turns ago. There was nothing the healers could have done for her."

"I knew of the death of the gold, although few seem willing to speak of the deaths of queenriders."

M'thei cleared his throat, changing the subject ever so slightly as he began to speak again, "Perhaps it was Loramath's turn to replenish the breeding queens of the Weyr, but ... I think Wyaleth could add to the number. I'm not certain. I hope she will. The other Weyrs are full to the brim with queens, but not Fort, and Faranth forbid something happen to Weyrwoman Dervana, but we need potential successors to the position other than Choshara.

"As for how the other weyrwoman died, she had been Br'tem's chosen successor to Dervana. He sought to keep her under his control by constant pregnancy, for few men are interested in another man's pregnant woman, and she died because of his foolishness and her own. The men of his line have been bronzeriders and Weyrleaders for well over the past century, and they have always chosen the successor to the Weyrwoman they came to power through. We need to break that line for the Pass, for its men are now weak leaders. Dawsath will lift in no flight save for Wyaleth's at present, but that will change when we have a new Senior Weyrwoman, if Dawsath flies that queen."

The song ended, but the Harpers struck up another slow dance.

"Care to dance again?" M'thei asked her with a pleasant smile gracing his angular face, although Esrene instantly recognized it as affectation rather than affection. Slightly perplexed at the man's demeanor after his revelations to her, she hesitated.

_He likes you but is thinking of the woman who died. Dance with him and listen to what he tells you._

Esrene started at having a dragon speak directly to her. Shocked by such a gesture, she instantly tipped her head in acquiescence to M'thei's request to dance and they took the required stance together.

After a few moments, M'thei continued with his lecture. "A Weyrwoman may influence which bronze flies her queen for the leadership flight, but often the Weyr, its morale and its politics play a greater influence in who will become the next Weyrleader or who will stay Weyrleader. That is part of how Dawsath continues to fly Wyaleth, the other part being Wyaleth's extreme partiality to him."

"You and L'shev are hoping to change these circumstances, once Dervana passes on or steps down?" she queried, smoothing her features lest she betray what was quickly becoming mistrust of L'shev's and M'thei's ambitions.

"Yes. Dervana may step down once the right weyrwoman Impresses and her gold matures. She speaks of wanting younger leaders to lead the Weyr into the Pass, not people as advanced of age as she will be at the start of the Pass."

"And L'shev would be that leader?"

M'thei shook his head but smiled at her. "Maybe or maybe not. Fort Weyr has many excellent Wingleaders or … at least Wingleaders paired to excellent beasts. Fort Weyr does well in Spring Games, but Spring Games are not the only measure of excellence for dragons and their riders, and I doubt such diversions are any measure against fighting in an actual Fall. What the Weyr will need most is a strong Weyrwoman whose interest would be for the better of the Weyr, not for herself. Choshara is only interested in herself and is incompetent as a weyrwoman, and Thalena would ... L'shev's sister would …"

Esrene smoothly raised an eyebrow, for the man seemed to have lost any semblance of his expressivity.

"Incautious, lustful men are warped around Thalena. Unfortunately, the warnings you hold girls receive about weyrmen carry some truth. Many of them are incautious, lustful men. They are strong men, most of them, but whatever their virtues they also have vices. Some of the bronzeriders at Fort Weyr have those vices. Thalena … somehow Thalena meddles and warps and manipulates, past the machinations of most ambitious women. L'shev and I suspect it is related to her abilities regarding dragons, but we aren't certain."

At that, Esrene frowned and M'thei became quiet. Thalena seemed someone not to be trifled with, and Esrene really began to understand what amounted to fear in L'shev and M'thei. A woman with such properties would be extremely formidable and dangerous if not properly grounded by morality or principled people surrounding her.

"If her gift is so great, I have no chance against her in attracting that queen when she hatches."

"Perhaps not, but … if Wyaleth clutches another gold when she next mates … that queen could almost certainly choose you."

"I will think about it, M'thei, but do tell L'shev to go ahead with his plans. I agree that this Thalena ought not be in a position of power, if at all possible."

They danced from then on out in silence, and when the song ended, they parted.

* * *

><p>In an attempt to find herself and Br'tem a modicum of privacy from the prying eyes of rumormongers, Thalena tugged him in a direction behind of the Harpers' stage. She leaned ever so slightly on the mind of the hapless Harper taking a break between his assigned sets, and the adolescent wandered off without giving them a second glance, more interested in food than a stray dignitary or two he might or might not recognize in the dimness of glow- and torchlight. Sufficiently pleased with her work, Thalena pulled Br'tem between the canvases behind the stage. He eagerly followed her, his hands on her waist, and she smiled lightly to herself that she had Fort's Weyrleader so tightly wrapped about her little finger after less than four months of knowing him. She turned to face him, the smile suddenly gone.<p>

"You may not muss me up back here," Thalena admonished him as his hands roved too freely, her melodic voice sensual in her delivery of every word. She was partially teasing and partly serious. Dawsath echoed her admonitions without prompting, and Br'tem's caresses became less blatant then. Another goal accomplished, she proceeded to grin mischievously up at him.

Br'tem gave her a baffled look. "Why'd you drag me back here?"

"I was tired of talking to you through your dragon. As much as I adore Dawsath," she stated in a placating but sensuous tone, for she did indeed adore Dawsath, "it is not nearly as pleasant as speaking with you."

Her emphasis on the final word was the final straw for the intemperate Weyrleader, and it instigated a passionate lip lock from him, with his wandering hands exploring her figure with wild urgency. Returning the kiss with equal fervor, she tolerated his cupping and caressing, grabbing and groping with encouraging posture and sounds until Br'tem's actions threatened to dishevel her appearances beyond her decided acceptable. She separated from him with a feigned gasp and, giving him an admonishing look, readjusted her bodice. He greatly decreased the veracity of his attentions, although he did pull her firmly to him and gently kissed her forehead.

They stood in that pose for several minutes, listening to the muted sounds of the Harpers' numbers as they each caught their breath.

"As a candidate, will I have to do anything at the Weyr, or should I stay at Fort Hold until the day of the Hatching?" she eventually asked him, affecting a mild but attractive pout and looking up at him through thick eyelashes. She arched her back slightly, intimately pressing her stomach and hips against him

Br'tem sucked in a deep breath as he gazed down at her face, exquisite and ethereal in the glowlight, and then he quickly became distracted by an eyeful of cleavage. He closed his eyes, blocking out what stimuli he could, for even the simple press of her body against his threatened to destroy his self-control. After a moment, he replied, "It depends on the family of the girl. Sometimes she stays in her Hold until the day of the Hatching, and sometimes they relinquish her to the care of the Weyr. It will be five sevendays or so until the eggs Hatch."

"I prefer not getting my hands dirty," she told him as she took a step back, those delicate hands now wheedling their way between their bodies and caressing his chest and abdomen, both actions made as much to repel his advances as to inflame his passions by physically separating him from what he wanted most. "…And, you know, I was not bred for hard labor."

"The girls are treated differently from the boys," he told her as he opened his eyes, one hand idly attempting to wander up the curve of her hips and waist. She swatted at the offending hand and he sighed, desisting. However, he did tell her, "By my order, you could remain as, say, my guest at the Weyr yet you would be a candidate since you've been Searched. I don't share quarters with the Weyrwoman, as you know."

She stood on her toes to kiss his lips tenderly as she made up her mind, although there was a hint of something more behind it just before she broke the kiss by settling back on her heels. One of her hands suggestively meandered from his chest, down his abdomen and onto the ornate belt buckle he had worn to the Gather. Her mellifluous tones were breathy and wanton as she spoke. "Perhaps we should retire to Fort Weyr then, my love, to fulfill our desires. Let me say my goodbyes to my kinfolk. Collect yourself and call dear Dawsath to collect us, a bit away from the dance square. It's a nuisance having a dragon land too close to the mainstays of a gather."

With that, Lady Thalena squirmed out of the Weyrleader's grasp and quickly made her way out from behind the Harpers' stage to say her goodbyes to her mother and father. If she appeared overly mussed to her parents, they obliviously attributed it to the toss dance she had participated in earlier. Br'tem found his way out a few minutes later. Dawsath obligingly settled away from the gatherers, dipping his shoulder as Thalena approached. With some assistance from Br'tem, she made it up to the bronze's neck and Br'tem scrambled up to settle behind her. The bronze took off with a great thrust of his hindquarters and a strong fanning of his wings, an event that always exhilarated Thalena, and then they winked _between_ to Fort Weyr.

It was the dead of night at Fort, the sky overcast to the point of obscuring the already negligible light of Pern's two moons, and so Thalena saw little more than glimmers of reflective light from the lake as Dawsath spiraled down to his ledge. _Between _had been cold enough to render her indifferent to the chill breezes gusting past them during their descent.

Reaching out swiftly with her mind, she felt the twin strengths of the Weyr's two queens, one barely awake and the other lightly slumbering. With the same senses, Thalena also gleaned that much of the Weyr's capacity must still be at Keroon's gather.

There was a brief exchange between Dawsath and Wyaleth as the bronze landed, but it was a lengthy, loving greeting and nothing more than that because the elderly queen was nearly asleep. Thalena, so easily bored by such exchanges, shut out the mental chatter of the dragons as one might shut out light by closing a glow basket. Br'tem slipped from Dawsath's neck and deftly caught Thalena in his arms halfway through her shimmy down. He carried her to his inner weyr as Dawsath settled onto his couch.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**__: This is as steamy as I write, and I considered that placing this last portion of the chapter as early into the piece as I did might be somewhat suicidal in terms of retaining what readership the story has so far, or that the piece might garner attention I'm not interested in it having. If it was too provocative in the wrong ways, do let me know. __I weighed these concerns against what I felt would be thematically appropriate given the setting, as well as this bit helping showcase Thalena's character (or perhaps lack thereof). I feel this really shows what an absolute piece of work Thalena is while also demonstrating the prevailing male attitude toward women I would expect in how I have envisioned Pern at this particular point in its timeline._

_The expectations for women and their advancement are fairly low in the earlier canonical novels in general, and I felt that misogyny would be extremely prevalent during and after what I'd term a "rebuilding phase" in the devastated population of a society that was extremely paternalistic in the first place. I feel I have demonstrated this to some degree with M'thei's narrative and with Br'tem's generally poor behavior._

_The two parts of the chapter were also an experimental contrast on my part of exposition via dialogue with minimal descriptive narrative in between and exposition via primarily descriptive narrative with intermittent dialogue. I'm not certain how successful the attempt was, and I'm sure it could have been written much better by someone with a Creative Writing degree, even within those formatting constraints._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**  
><em>Fort Weyr, Early Autumn of the Sixth Interval<em>

* * *

><p>Thalena awoke the next day late in the morning, at first vaguely confused by unfamiliar surroundings and then quickly chagrined at finding the bed vacated of her partner. The perverse irritation she felt eventually gave way to a recollection of the previous day's events, how everything had unfolded according to plans Turns in the making. A queen egg had been clutched at Fort, she had been Searched for it, and she had the Weyrleader's rapt attention. Yes, this was certainly profitable for her family at Ista and for Lord Tolorem of Fort, her aunt's husband. It would be profitable for her as well, when she became Weyrwoman.<p>

As for the Weyrleader, the consummation of their relationship had certainly been worth the wait she had forced him to endure. Thalena hadn't expected the experience would be as exhilarating as it had been, having been coached on what to expect from her mother and aunt. She really didn't have any complaints, and Br'tem certainly shouldn't either. The pathetic man had begged her for months on end for such an occasion, and she had returned on her promises and more than made up for months of being a shameless tease. She smirked in euphoric delight at recollections of her seduction, for being a tease had been part of the fun. What fun was there now? Well, she would have to find some. She began a languid stretch, grimacing slightly in response to a dull ache she began to feel mere moments into moving her legs. Well then … she did have one complaint about the night's events, but she had been coached on that as well.

Burrowing herself more deeply into the furs, she reached out mentally, feeling Dawsath's lightly slumbering presence on the weyr's ledge. Expanding her senses to seek out the more powerful forces in the Weyr, she felt that Wyaleth was hunting and that Loramath was pacing the Hatching sands. There was a resounding bellow from the Bowl that echoed into the weyr, and Thalena recoiled her extra senses from the two queens. With another grimace, she then shut out the idle mental chatter of Fort's dragons and channeled her attentions onto one dragon. She gave Dawsath a mental nudge to wake him fully.

_Dawsath, dear, where is Br'tem?_

She heard him sleepily query Br'tem, and then waited for the bronze's response.

_He is meeting with the Weyrwoman and Weyrlingmaster about Search. They were not pleased that he began Search so suddenly without consulting them and the Weyrwoman is not pleased that Br'tem brought you back to Fort so soon. She says it was improper._

Dawsath paused in his revelations long enough for a surge of irritation to pulse through Thalena, not at the bronze but at her perceived audacity of Derlova's response to her arrival in at Fort Weyr. That the lowbred, un-Blooded old bitch thought it improper to bring her, Lady Thalena, of the Istan Blood immediately to Fort Weyr as a candidate was preposterous. Why, it was an insult!

_Br'tem says to bathe and get dressed._ Dawsath told her soothingly._ Br'tem had your things brought from Fort Hold this morning. He will take you to the Lower Caverns for lunch. It is almost noon._

Thalena, still broiling with anger, slid out of the Weyrleader's bed and sauntered in the direction that Dawsath mentally directed her. She quickly assessed the bathing room, noting the reflecting glass above the natural shelf holding various bath accessories including a fresh, unused bathing sheet. She grabbed the bathing sands from the shelf with one hand and fully opened the glow basket with the other before slipping into thermally heated waters almost as hot as her anger.

She sighed in relief as the water relaxed tense muscles and soothed pains incurred the previous evening. The water soon began to solve her temper as well, and after carefully placing the sweetsand on a dry ledge, she painstakingly undid the elaborate crown braiding her hair had been contained in for the previous day. She placed the numerous pins in a pile next to the sweetsand and then ducked under the warm water to wet her hair. When she surfaced, her hair billowed around her and she watched in amazement as it floated on the surface of the pool.

Thalena's long blond hair had been a luxury even as a Lady in a Hold, and furthermore, it had been talked of jealously by the other fostered girls at Fort Hold. That certainly hadn't bothered Thalena at all. Although she really needed neither herbs nor sunlight to brighten her hair to an enviable golden color, her time spent in the sun at Ista had made it especially brilliant. She had secretly resorted to herbal remedies while at Fort Hold in an attempt to maintain its Istan brilliance. While the herbs did not bleach the hair as the sun did, Thalena had been pleasantly surprised that that the herbal remedies recommended by her aunt had managed to make her hair silkier, smoother and healthier – and the hue with herbal remedies was richer than the bleaching Rukbat could provide.

A polite rejoinder from Dawsath broke her from her reverie. _Br'tem will be done soon and you have been in the bath long enough. Humans get … wrinkly when they're in the water too much?_

Dawsath's remark made Thalena laugh, any remnants of her earlier anger melting away to childish amusement. She checked her fingertips; they were indeed becoming wrinkly. Gathering up her hair as best she could, she twisted it together and tossed it over her shoulders. She would not use the harsh sweetsand on her hair today, but she did grab a handful from the container and lathered her body thoroughly with the substance. Even in the glowlight, it was evident to her that her Istan tan was fading in the cooler autumn of Fort. Her usual glow was dimming so that she feared that soon she would be as pale as her tan lines.

She rinsed herself, and then took the steps out of the pool, snatching the bathing sheet from its spot on the shelf and quickly drying her body with it. From there, she wrung out the length of her hair in it and wrapped her head in it, tucking the bathing sheet into itself atop her head.

With direction from Dawsath, she braved the much cooler sleeping room to find the two large chests of clothes that a wingsecond had retrieved from Fort Hold that morning. She flipped open the warmer weather chest and began to pull out undergarments. Dawsath gave her Br'tem's assessment of the weather as she slipped on a pair of underwear, and she dourly began the task of choosing her own clothes. The weather was chilly, but she did have the quilted sleeveless overcoat sewn at Fort Hold. It had proven warm on a chilly day or two there so far.

She scrambled through the chest of warmer clothes, which had been newly commissioned items for her at the expense of Lord Tolorem. The quilted overcoat (of Fortian colors) was folded neatly on top of the pile of clothes, and she yanked it out, setting it atop the other chest. Finding the bathing towel on her head to be a nuisance, she cast it aside before returning to her 'wardrobe' issues. She considered three tailored, dyed wool shifts, choosing one of pale blue color, for alone of the three it gave her figure the best lines and played up all of her assets the best. She slipped it over her head and settled it into place.

Socks? Had she any in the chest? The answer to that was no, and so Thalena merely shoved her feet into the fleece-lined ankle boots she found at the bottom of the trunk. Testing the shoe and finding it had a raised heel with little traction, Thalena realized she would need proper footwear for the Weyr and the winter.

Thalena heard the echo of boot heels scraping against stone outside before Dawsath warned her of Br'tem's arrival, and Thalena deftly pulled on the quilted overcoat, buttoning it carefully. She pulled and then tossed her nearly dry blond hair out of her clothes as Br'tem sauntered into the sleeping area of his weyr. He leaned against one of the cavern's walls to admire her, his extremely pleased look reassuring her.

"Ah, so Dawsath did relay my message to you."

"Yes, he did get me in and out of the bath," she responded. "Are we ready to head out for lunch?"

"Most certainly," the Weyrleader said, offering her his elbow. She accepted the offer and they walked out of his weyr arm-in-arm. Dawsath rumbled a greeting as they passed and Thalena offered her mental goodbye to the bronze beast.

It was then that Thalena realized the walk was moderately far, although the exercise did not anger or aggravate her. Dragons were doing drills far above the Weyr, and once more Thalena shut out the draconic chatter. When they reached the Caverns, Thalena was surprised at the level of inactivity.

_It is past midday after a Gather day. It is a good time for you to have a meal._

The Caverns were warm as she passed through, and she idly began to unbutton the quilted overcoat. The Weyrleader led her to the high table, and helped her to slip off the overcoat before helping her into a chair. He slipped off his own jacket and settled in beside her. Their places were set except for the plates. Thalena gazed down at the tables below her, sparsely occupied by riders and residents alike.

"I had them prepare a meal for you, you know."

As if on cue, a woman in her early thirties approached the table with two plates filled with rice, vegetables from the autumn harvests, and choice slices of herdbeast meat. Thalena smiled pleasantly at the woman, and the woman returned the smile before affecting a curtsy and heading off on her actual duties.

"That was one of my sisters."

"And she minds waiting on you?"

"Not at all."

Br'tem snapped his fingers and someone brought forward a skin of Benden red. He took the wine and poured it into her goblet and his. He glanced over at Thalena then, hungrily ogling her exposed cleavage.

"We receive tithed wines from Tillek, but most do not enjoy them. L'shev was instrumental in securing Benden wines for our enjoyment. Enjoy the meal. Derlova and Br'van, the Weyrlingmaster, will probably join us soon, although they've already eaten."

Thalena said nothing in response and began her meal, enjoying the roast herdbeast and the steamed rice before she heard Dawsath's warning of the Weyrwoman and the Weyrlingmaster's search for them. She glanced in the direction of the entrance and saw what she had not before – the formidable physique of Wyaleth's rider, the Weyrwoman Derlova. In her youth, the woman would have been considered handsome, and she had aged well. Although in her sixth decade, she remained physically fit and her once auburn hair was even now only partially gray. Her green eyes could pierce the soul. Thalena, stubborn and resolute, vowed not to let the woman intimidate her.

Walking a pace behind her must be Br'van, for he wore the shoulder knot of a Weyrlingmaster on his riding jacket. It was his appearance more than Derlova's that distracted her. He was the near-perfect blend of Derlova's coloring and Br'tem's facial features, yet in his early thirties – if she estimated correctly – he was far too old to be Br'tem's son.

Br'tem had evidently followed Thalena's gaze and he cleared his throat, whispering to her, "Br'van is my younger half brother. Derlova is his mother."

The Weyrwoman held her head high as she took the steps up the dais to the high table, stopping directly in front of Br'tem. Br'van stopped a few paces behind his mother. Thalena's gaze was unfaltering as she glanced from Derlova to Br'van. At Dawsath's urging, she stood and performed a formal curtsy to honor the Weyrwoman and Weyrlingmaster. She caught Br'van gazing up and down her figure, and then she glanced back to Derlova, who with lips pursed was also eyeing her critically. Thalena felt like a runner sent to auction.

"So, this is the lucky young woman you're hoping to replace me with, Br'tem?" the Weyrwoman smoothly asked her Weyrleader, her unsettling gaze never leaving Thalena's face or figure. "You know, you always did think with the wrong head. Hope she's less of a deadglow than the previous women you've brought back. She's quite a spectacle, physically, wouldn't you say, Weyrlingmaster?"

"She certainly follows in the looks of the Istan Bloodline."

"Mmm, true. The hair, certainly, is of the Istan stock and she has some of the look of her father's dam. Although, frankly, I believe her elder brother inherited the more attractive eyes."

Thalena briefly pursed her lips at such a statement, although the unattractive expression quickly melted into a smile sweetly bestowed upon Derlova. "L'shev and I have different mothers, and it is said that he inherited his mother's eyes while I inherited my mother's."

"Wingleader L'shev also has a greater pedigree than you do, as I understand it. Where is your mother from again?"

Thalena narrowed her eyes, easily enough baited by the Blood insult for the words to tumble from her mouth. "L'shev may have a less obscure maternal lineage than I, but I seem to have a higher pedigree than any other woman in this Weyr."

"Well then, Thalena, you should know that Bloodline matters less here than it does in a Hold. It is our actions and services that set us apart in this Weyr, not where we came from or who our parents are or were," Derlova began slowly, raising her voice to benefit the avid curiosity of everyone present in the Lower Caverns. "While you are in my Weyr as a candidate—" and she paused to give Br'tem a scathing look, "—the Weyrlingmaster and I shall have duties for you. Nothing too tedious to tax that pretty little head or break that soft body of yours, I assure you, but I shall have you helping to inventory the Weyr's supplies and tallying the autumn tithes if they come this month. I assume a woman of such a vaunted _pedigree_ would have the domestic training necessary to perform such tasks. When not doing that, you will receive special lectures from Weyrlingmaster Br'van on the proper etiquette, activities and attire befitting a woman of Fort Weyr, be she weyrwoman or worker."

Thalena glanced at Br'van, her expression carefully bland as she wondered how susceptible he might be to her charms and abilities. To avoid being rude, she glanced back at the Weyrwoman and curtsied once more. "Yes, Weyrwoman. I shall do those things while I am here."

Derlova turned to step off the dais. She took one or two steps down before she turned to glare at Thalena. "One more thing, child. Stay out of my dragon's head. Your presence has already unsettled her, and she is close to mating. And by the way, when she does rise … if Dawsath does manage to catch her, Br'tem will be unable to perform for _days_ afterwards, a most terrible affliction in a bedmate, I assure you. It is an unfortunate side effect of winning mating flights for the men of his Bloodline, once they reach middling age. At any rate, I want Wyaleth undisturbed, and I am not to hear of you disturbing Loramath, either. Faranth help us if a foolish, oversexed tart such as you should Impress that gold. A pity, really, that females only Impress to one color."

Derlova turned away again and Thalena sank into her chair. Br'tem gazed down at his unfinished lunch. Thalena noticed that Br'van was still on the dais in front of them; the Weyrlingmaster gave her a suggestive wink and then trouped after the Weyrwoman.

_ You will report first thing in the morning to Weyrlingmaster Br'van_, a deep voice boomed inside of her head. The dragon, assessing her confusion, added, _I am bronze Rasuth and Br'van is my rider._

Thus began the new lessons of life for Thalena, scheduled for the next few sevendays at least. She could not, with Rasuth and Wyaleth constantly monitoring her actions, coerce others into her inventory duties. The initial lectures with Br'van were boring although occasionally interspersed with snide innuendo and lewd cracks at her person.

Initially angered that Br'tem had failed to protect her as promised, Thalena's anger later swung towards increased hatred of Derlova. Br'van she dislike for his crudeness towards her, but she had realized early in the lessons that he could sometimes be susceptible to her manipulations either mentally or through her physical attributes and seduction. Although she continued in Br'tem's bed, her new game was attracting Br'van's attentions.

Perhaps ten days into Thalena's new duties in the Weyr, she received a break as Br'tem conveyed Thalena and Lady Varensa to the Weavercraft Hall in Boll. He had boasted of having credit with the Master Weaver, and he pulled out all stops required to have the two Istan Ladies fitted for the Hatching feast in the latest fashions.

* * *

><p>In the Weyrleader's absence from the Weyr, Weyrwoman Derlova called a quiet meeting with the Weyrlingmaster and with L'shev and his wingseconds in her weyr. L'shev and M'thei quickly arrived following her summons, although the young bronzerider A'lor was slow to make it to the meeting. He accepted his due admonitions as he settled himself into a seat beside L'shev.<p>

Although Derlova had been little more than a cotholder's daughter prior to her Search by the previous Weyrleader, Br'mor, the father of Br'tem and Br'van, she had been taught manners, duty and Tradition as a child. When she had ascended to the position of Weyrwoman some thirty-four Turns ago, Br'mor had further enhanced her education and expertise. Nevertheless, her duty in her own weyr was to play host to her company, and she dutifully passed out klah and pastries to those in this meeting.

Settling into her own seat once her guests' needs were taken care, she began to speak in her booming, forceful tones:

"I wanted to call you to a meeting sooner, but Wyaleth and I have been forced to keep Loramath in check on the sands. Choshara is useless in this capacity as we all well know. I do not want a repeat of her Impression. Thus, I am tasking those of you in this room to devise a plan of Search to meet the needs of this clutch – and this Weyr.

"I wanted to thank you, L'shev, for warning me of Br'tem's attachment to Thalena and Thalena's capabilities. I believe I have her, for the time being, under appropriate surveillance between Rasuth and what Wyaleth can manage between soothing Loramath's tantrums. Furthermore, I actually have her doing work."

Derlova turned to Br'van. "Have you any reports of her from your lessons?"

"Rasuth says she finds them boring," the Weyrlingmaster began with a wry grin, "and her manner of dress still leaves something to be desired in a junior weyrwoman. I suspect whenever I lecture her on it, though, that she turns such lessons upside down. I did speak to Br'tem about having her taken to the Weaver Hall for proper attire, and that is how we have this free moment to meet."

"Has she attempted to seduce you yet?" M'thei asked with some asperity.

Br'van laughed, setting his klah on the table in front of him. "She has tried, every day we have met for a lesson. Sometimes I … play along, sometimes I do not. It gives her something else to concentrate on other than whatever other ambitions she may have. Br'tem may be easily played, but I am not."

A'lor snorted in response to Br'van's comment. Derlova gave him a stony look before she turned to L'shev. "Have you any idea what your father and uncle are planning with Br'tem?"

L'shev shook his head. "For now, it seems that their ambition is merely to have her become a weyrwoman at Fort, with the hopes that she will replace you when … your time as Weyrwoman is over. What they think this will bring them, I haven't yet gleaned. Their efforts are clandestine, of course. Br'tem and the two Lords trust me, but not enough for me to let me know what they are involved in."

The bronzerider gave a shrug and changed the subjects slightly. "I did speak to Br'tem some about Search, asking him about Searching the east for prospective candidates."

"Boys, of course," interjected M'thei.

L'shev gave his trusted wingsecond an amused grin. "He deferred such decisions to the Weyrwoman and the Weyrlingmaster. If you do let us Search in the east, we know of a viable candidate for gold there. Would you have me ask Weyrwoman Hilaina permission to Search in Benden's territories?"

The room was silent and Derlova had the distinct expression on her face that signaled her relaying important information to her queen. Derlova then leveled her unsettling gaze upon him, although it rarely disquieted him now that he was so used to it. "Wyaleth has asked for the Weyrwoman of Benden to give you an audience about Search. The response is that you are to go to Benden tomorrow."

The Weyrwoman then slightly changed the subject, still speaking with L'shev. "It is not without reason that I have suggested Br'tem restructure your wing in such a way that you have many of the Weyr's Search sensitive dragons. Furthermore …"

She glanced over at A'lor and addressed him. "Nephew, when the new dragonets mature from Loramath's clutch and the next that Wyaleth clutches, we will restructure our wings once again. Br'tem and I discussed the possibility of new Wingleaders after this Turn's Spring Games. From the list of young bronzeriders, he suggested you without prompting. You are not to brag or boast of this, for it will be Turns in the making to be sure, but you have earned that distinction at least."

Momentarily speechless, A'lor grinned sheepishly at his aunt and then offered a hearty thanks. Derlova nodded to him, and then turned back to L'shev and M'thei. "What qualities does this young woman have that you think she would be viable to ride a gold at Fort Weyr."

L'shev flushed faintly. "I first found her playing cards, winning every hand she played without cheating, through knowledge of the game and … how to , I suppose, force her opponents' hands."

Derlova gave him a dubious look, and so L'shev quickly continued to avoid interruption. "Ulminth felt someone of power at the gather. I followed his direction to what he thought might be the source of it, and found a well-dressed young woman playing cards with jockeys and stablehands. She is Lady Esrene of Bitra. Her mother is Ruathan. She can hear and speak to dragons, though her gift is not nearly as powerful as Thalena's."

Derlova frowned, "A Bitran with a Ruathan mother? Ah, Lord Osravas married Lady Nerina of Ruatha when she couldn't stand at Benden. I had heard that hearing dragons drove the woman nearly insane. Hmm. A daughter of such a match …"

"Do you disprove that she is Bitran and plays cards?" M'thei asked the Weyrwoman, following his question with a sip of still steaming klah.

"All Bitrans gamble and play cards. There isn't a thing anyone can do about it," said Derlova, shrugging at her own prejudices. "Yet, if this young woman can politick as well as she plays cards … how was her personality otherwise?"

"I spoke with her at length about Fort's dilemmas. Although willing to accept my story, which I gave to her in truth, she had some remaining skepticism about our motives. She was amenable to Search and willing to do her duty to Pern, if that included coming to Fort."

"What she took in marks from those jockeys and stablehands she used to bribe a cook to send choice roast down to them at that Gather," L'shev remarked with a laugh. "It at least shows she is not greedy or self-serving, as many Ladies of the Holds are."

"Charity is an admirable quality," remarked Derlova. "Yes, you have my permission to bring her, if an actual Search dragon finds her suitable. Do try, if you can, to bring back a few boys on Search. We haven't quite enough weyrbred lads at the moment, especially to cover whatever Wyaleth will clutch. Br'van, let us adjourn to the records room. I have maps to look over for us to consider other areas to Search. Dismissed."

The men quickly rose from their seats as Derlova stood and left her weyr for the archives. Br'van followed his mother, and the three other participants of the meeting quickly exited the Weyrwoman's weyr, bowing their respects to Wyaleth as they strode past her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**: I'm beginning now to display some of the politicking beginning at the Weyr. I promise I will showcase other characters in the next update! _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4  
><strong>_Bitra Hold and Benden Weyr, Autumn of the Sixth Interval_

* * *

><p>There had been rumors from the nearby holds that migrating wherries were passing through Bitra's territories, and so Esrene and two of her brothers had decided to go for a hunt that day. Dressed in warm hunting gear and immured inside the stables to set up supplies for their hunt. Esrene reflexively glanced up as she felt a dragon's presence emerge from <em>between<em>, although she certainly couldn't see it through the stable's ceiling.

_Esrene, Hilaina would like to speak to you in your mother's study._

She started, still unused to dragons speaking directly to her without prompting, and quickly set aside a crossbow she had been fine-tuning for their hunt.

"Tantanath," Esrene told her brothers in explanation, favoring them with a grim but apologetic look. "Looks as though our ride must be postponed because our aunt would like to speak with me. You may go without me, if it pleases you."

She knew that it would, for on their hunts it was often she who managed to kill their quarry. Although Esrene could manage a Hold, her hobbies tended away from more ladylike pursuits. She could not say that she lived a spoiled life, for that wasn't how her parents had raised her, but she certainly had the luxury of being a tomboy and her father had always encouraged her in her hobbies of cards, hunting and riding.

"Excuse me," she told them as she ducked out of the stables and jogged across the courtyard to the Hold. She stopped to bow to Tantanath, who had settled herself obstructively in one corner of the courtyard. Esrene took one of the side entrances into the Hold and quickly took the flight of steps to her mother's study.

Weyrwoman Hilaina and Lady Nerina were chatting about some subject of domesticity when she passed through the open door. One of the drudges was stoking the fire in the hearth. Esrene bowed to her mother and aunt in turn. "Mother. Good day to you, Weyrwoman. My apologies for my appearances. My brothers and I were to set off on hunt today before the weather became too cold. It appears, though, that they will set off without me."

"Your brothers don't like your competition," her mother quipped, although she was often amused rather than upset by her eldest daughter's chosen hobbies.

Hilaina gave her sister and niece an amused smile, as she motioned for Esrene to take a seat in one of the parlor chairs beside the fire. "I'm used to your appearances as they are, niece, and anyway, being dressed in riding gear certainly doesn't make you any less presentable to your relatives."

Lady Nerina began shooing the drudge from the room when the fire was sufficiently hot, and Esrene took a seat after the drudge had exited. It was only when the door of the study clicked shut behind her mother that Esrene realized that this would be a private audience with her aunt.

The Benden Weyrwoman sat in the chair across from her. "The evening we conveyed you back from the Keroon gather, you mentioned to me that a Fort Wingleader had spoken to you about Search and that his wingsecond had … told you some of Fort's secrets."

Esrene nodded, absently pulling her knitted hunting hat from her head. She met her aunt's steady gaze; steely gray eyes like her own.

Hilaina continued when Esrene made no verbal reply, "I ask because Weyrwoman Derlova contacted me this morning about an audience for a Fort Wingleader wishing to Search Benden's territory."

"L'shev, rider of bronze Ulminth," she told her aunt.

"Yes, that is the Wingleader she is sending to me, tomorrow," Hilaina replied with a smile. "I know of him, of course. His wing performs well for Fort in Spring Games, and I have heard that he is a good leader of men and a follower of Tradition. That said, it really is a pity that Benden already has five junior queens. We would have Searched you for the last, you know, but your mother thought fourteen was too young for a girl woman to Impress. With a gold on the sands, you know, it isn't even requisite that a Weyr request to Search in the territory of other Weyrs. Good manners, but certainly not required."

Esrene sighed, grimacing ever so slightly as she further expanded upon her recollection of events at Keroon's gather. "M'thei, L'shev's wingsecond, said they primarily were going to come to you under the guise of Searching for boys. Br'tem has a woman he believes would Impress a gold, a woman who hears and speaks to dragons more powerfully than mother or I."

"Mm, Br'tem, attempting to continue his line's glorious reign over Fort Weyr," said Hilaina somewhat acidly. "Did L'shev and M'thei tell you of him?"

Esrene nodded, "They did tell me something of him."

"Br'tem cares for one thing and one thing only: power. The men of his line have led Fort for the majority of the Interval, and Br'tem believes that leading Fort Weyr until he dies is his birthright. He has many fooled with his performances in Spring Games. Dawsath carries the weight there, along with his wingseconds and the other more competent Wingleaders of Fort Weyr. He is an incompetent leader of people, and it is a pity that Dervana cannot find a way to shake Wyaleths' attachment to Dawsath.

"You know of course that Br'tem's father 'chose' Dervana to succeed the previous senior. Br'mor, his father, had never been loyal to Br'tem's mother, the previous Weyrwoman, but to Dervana he was steadfast and she loved him in return." Hilaina stopped and sighed.

Her aunt's narrative piquing her curiosity, Esrene tilted her head slightly to reconsider Weyrwoman Hilaina's words. Curious, she queried, "What happened to Br'tem's mother?"

"She went _between_, drunk out of her senses, and never returned. She was a beautiful but foolish woman, and those are the kind of women the men of Br'tem's lineage have been choosing to maintain power. Except when Br'mor's wing found Dervana on Search, and he instructed her on how to be a proper Weyrwoman.

"Br'mor died earlier than he should have fifteen Turns ago, of a heart attack, before he could fully instill those values into his hardheaded son. Many of the men of the line died of heart attacks. Regardless, at twenty-four Turns old, Br'tem became Weyrleader. I'm certain he hates Dervana, as the woman who replaced his mother as Weyrwoman and as a woman not pliant to his orders. So following the devices of his grandsire and great grandsire, he began looking for a pliant woman he could replace her with. Fort Weyr went for many Turns with only one queen."

"Before he could find the right woman, Fort Weyr ended up with Choshara as its only junior weyrwoman. She is temperamental, silly and an ill fit for the duties a Weyrwoman must perform." Hilaina shook her head.

"I had heard that Br'tem had found someone, but that she had died."

Hilaina nodded and sighed. "Following rumors of a young girl who heard dragons, Br'tem did find what he was looking for several Turns back, maybe a decade ago. She was pretty, sweet and pliant. She came from some small Hold in the mountains between Fort and Ruatha, and had some affinity for dragons, although I doubt in the capacity you have. She was young and impressionable, and Br'tem's attentions to her brought favor upon that small Hold, so the poor holder pushed his daughter at him, and to this day that Hold is still raising two of Br'tem's bastards. Finally, Wyaleth clutched another gold and Br'tem brought her to the Weyr as a candidate. The selection for the egg was minimal; only three girls were presented for the it. Br'tem's candidate Impressed."

"She died two Turns ago. I remember the death. What was her name?"

"Anamira," the Benden Weyrwoman told her, "and I can't remember her gold's name. She only clutched twice. At any rate, Anamira, despite her loyalties to Br'tem, had made a good weyrwoman as taught to her by Dervana. I doubt Br'tem loved her, but from the moment he was able, he kept her constantly pregnant. Aside from her queen's flights, she was completely and utterly loyal to Br'tem. She died after giving birth to the last of her sons by him. There was excessive bleeding, which was stopped, and then she became feverish and died. The healers say it was a blood infection."

"Did Br'tem mourn her at all?"

Hilaina merely shrugged. "I am not certain, but I doubt it. Oh, I'm sure the loss of a breeding queen shook him, but I doubt he mourned more than the loss of the queen and of his chosen successor to Dervana. Br'tem, mourn a woman? No. At any rate, if what you tell me is true, it seems he has found her replacement. I hope this one has the sense to shake off holdbred notions and terminate her pregnancies. There is no need for a woman to bear four children in four Turns."

"No, there is not," agreed Esrene, shaking her head. She knew that women in the Weyrs often ended unwanted pregnancies, and she felt that women in holds overbore and many died because of it.

"A word of advice, dear niece," Hilaina began, clearing her throat, "Pregancy is one way men may control women and their sexuality in these times, either by keeping women pregnant or warning their daughters of the consequences of becoming pregnant by the wrong man. Smart women may easily avoid these pitfalls, for they know that bearing a man's child does not mean gaining or retaining his affections. It is, of course, much more possible to be an independent woman in a Weyr than in Hold or Hall."

Esrene nodded soberly. "Yes, that is a good … assessment of the these times."

"You're a smart girl and I'm sure you've come to your own conclusions before this. I just thought, given what I had told you, it was appropriate to say," the Benden Weyrwoman told her with a tight smile as she stood. Esrene quickly followed suit, her hunting hat in one hand as she bowed to her aunt. Hilaina smiled a little more readily then, and motioned her towards the door. "Expect this L'shev's wing at the hold on Search tomorrow. I had already warned your mother. At any rate, I have business to attend to at Benden Weyr."

Esrene nodded and stepped forward to open the office door for Hilaina. The Weyrwoman stepped through and then Esrene followed her, escorting the Weyrwoman through the Hold's corridors in silence.

* * *

><p><em>Are we ready to go yet? <em>Ulminth asked L'shev somewhat plaintively. The large bronze's tail whipped back and forth in agitation. He tended to prefer sunning elsewhere in the bowl and not on the landing of his ledge, particularly when they had somewhere else to be.

_ Loramath pestering you again?_ L'shev shot back at his dragon as he pulled on his gloves and walked out to the ledge. He took the dragon's silence as an affirmative. _Shouldn't fly her every time she rises, then, you dolt._

_I will get what I can get, for now, _Ulminth responded blandly, dipping a shoulder for L'shev to climb up. The sandy blond bronzerider settled comfortably between his dragon's neck ridges and signaled for him to take off. With a flurry of wing beats and the familiar scraping of talons against the worn stone of the ledge, Ulminth was airborne.

_Tell Peramath to get have the Wing ready for Search,_ he ordered his dragon before visualizing Benden Weyr. The cold of _between_ chilled him even through his flight gear, but it was over soon enough. The watch dragon greeted them, Ulminth calling out who he was as they spiraled to the ledge of the Weyrwoman's weyr. Tantanath greeted them with a bugle as they descended to a landing spot beside her.

L'shev casually slid down Ulminth's shoulder and greeted Tantanath with a theatrical, sweeping bow. Her eyes whirled slowly in favorable shades as she gazed at him. He turned and bowed – less dramatically – as Weyrwoman Hilaina came striding quickly out from inside the cavernous weyr of the senior queen.

"L'shev, so pleased to meet you! Do come this way, to the records room. I have something to show you pertaining to the request Fort Weyr has made."

Hilaina motioned for him to follow her, and they made their way down a glow-lit corridor to Benden Weyr's archives. Amidst the musky smell of old tomes and hides, L'shev felt vaguely at ease with the formidable Benden Weyrwoman, for his time as a Harper apprentice had often been spent aiding the archivist, and Derlova permitted him to peruse the records at Fort Weyr. It was, at least, also less awkward than being a guest in an unfamiliar Weyrwoman's weyr.

Hilaina picked up and opened an additional glow basket as they reached the room's main table. The strong light illuminated a large, detailed map of Benden's territory, the map's tattered corners pinned to the table's surface. A smaller replica, on a more recently hide cured hide, and with slightly less detail than the older map, lay to the right of it. It sat atop two or three other recently cured hides. L'shev placed his hands on the edge of the table to gaze down at the older map.

"Weyrwoman Derlova asked for an audience about Search yesterday, at which point I went to visit my niece, Lady Esrene of Bitra, for she had told me of the potential for Search after Keroon's gather. I know, to some degree, what it is you are fighting. As such, the Weyrleader and I felt it prudent to aid you in your cause although we have six breeding queens of our own to attend to, with one clutching soon."

L'shev bowed his head slightly with a somewhat uncomfortable expression on his face, and Hilaina glanced at him, turning the glow basket upon him. She shook her head and offered him a reassuring smile, reaching out a long, slender hand to the nearest of his gloved hands. "Benden has a ready supply of candidates, unlike some of the other Weyrs. We maintain very strong relationships with our major tithing Holds, and the Lords maintain for us a strict census on the minor Holdings under their jurisdiction. Our riders discretely aid in the census of more remote Holdings. My sister, the Lady Holder of Bitra, suggested this at one point many, many Turns ago."

Hilaina cleared her throat. "I think, perhaps, however, another factor in Benden's favor is that the great plague of the Sixth Pass did not so greatly affect the east as it did so much the rest of the continent. The other Weyrs often have trouble with Search, so it is not a problem specific to Fort. I hear Telgar has trouble Searching at times, more so than the other Weyrs, but Telgar was censured for its part in the tragedy that befell Moreta."

Benden's Weyrwoman shrugged and she turned her glow basket upon the great map. "This is, as you know, Benden's territory. The Lords who comply easiest with Search in our territory are those of Benden and Bitra. The small Holdings that will comply easiest with Search for males and females are those in the mountains. They have become unbelievably overcrowded during the Interval. The more remote Holds who look to Lord Lemos are also easier to Search. Search young women in the Holdings too close to Lemos and Lord Bersel will claim you are poaching his women …"

L'shev glanced up quickly to gauge Weyrwoman Hilaina's mood, her lips mashed together in a thin line. The woman appeared positively annoyed at Lord Bersel's attitude, although he didn't blame her. The Weyrs had always had precedence before, why should it be any different now? L'shev cleared his throat hastily and stated awkwardly, "Lord Bersel beds well and frequently I assume, then."

"Frankly I think he does it out of spite to the Weyrs," Hilaina said, narrowing her eye as they swept over the Lemos territory on the map. Their hue was eerie in the glow light. "A dragon sniffs out a young woman on Search, and then it is revealed that she is "recently pregnant by the Lord of Lemos." Of course, we haven't had a queen in Turns, but Igen asked to Search Lemos early last Turn and they got the same responses we did Turns ago. I do not know if it is the truth or not when we receive these responses, but many Holders in Lemos respond thusly if a pretty daughter is Searched."

L'shev frowned, for he found such attitudes extraordinarily troubling. "Will he mind the Search of boys in his Hold, then, or would you prefer that we leave Searching Lemos to you?"

Hilaina glanced over at L'shev, considering his question for a moment.

"Leave the areas closest to Lemos to us, Wingleader L'shev. We can twist Bersal's arm just enough to get what we need, sometimes," she finally stated, grasping for the smaller hides to the side of the ancient map of Benden. She set aside the glow basket, closing it with a nudge, and motioned with the hides for him to follow her. She led him out of the corridor to the records room, past her queen's vacated couch and into her weyr. She called down the service shaft for two mugs of hot klah and then motioned for him to sit at the small breakfast table near it. L'shev at last removed his gloves.

Weyrwoman Hilaina tossed the hides onto the table as a low rumble came from the direction of the service shaft and went to retrieve to steaming hot klah. She placed one mug in front of him and then one at one of the other chairs.

"The sweetener is in that container if you use it," she told him politely, motioning towards a small ceramic jar with a spoon clamped between the jar and its lid. He shook his head. She cracked a grin full of comradery, "Hmm, someone who prefers klah plain as I myself do. Interesting! D'mit puts a disheartening amount of sweetener in his, and my daughter puts fresh cream in hers."

L'shev grinned back at her. "I've always enjoined it plain. The simpler, the better."

"Food and drink can at least be simple," she replied with a laugh. Their mugs of klah were too steaming hot to drink as of yet, so she turned to hides she had tossed onto the breakfast table. She pushed the map across the table to him, and he lifted it to examine the details. "This first hide is a recently copied map of our territories with brief census numbers. I circled the more overpopulated Holdings with a reddish ink."

Hilaina picked up the second hide from the pile and frowned at it. "This is a list of Holds in Lemos that are overpopulated, with a greater breakdown of the populations. Lord Bersal was not as forthcoming this year in his census, I feel, but I circled in red the names of Holds I felt it would be easier to Search."

Hilaina handed him that hide and sighed. "I should probably send someone with you who knows these smaller Holds."

L'shev glanced down at the hide in question as he took it from her, and then he returned to glancing over the map. "Yes, if we do Search Lemos, I would appreciate a guide to some of these areas. My biggest concern, though, I believe would be Bitra Hold and speaking with your niece."

Hilaina swallowed and nodded. She glanced down at the two remaining hides before her and pulled up one. She handed it to him. "You know of Esrene's ability, and you should know she was found suitable by Benden's Search dragons for our last queen. My sister, her mother, decided that newly fourteen Turns was too young to subject a girl to Weyr politics even if my presence sheltered her. Perhaps my sister was scared of her daughter being in my shadow, as well, for fears of cries of nepotism. She would not find that problem at Fort Weyr or another weyr, certainly. It is unlikely that your Search dragons would find her unsuitable now, and she is a strong young woman now, rather than a child as she had been.

"One of her younger brothers is a recent greenrider here at Benden, but I don't believe any of the other children would be found suitable for Search. I believe removing her brother from the Hold was to his benefit at any rate. He is a good lad, giving a good name to greenriders."

"Two of my younger brothers are greenriders, one at Ista and one at Telgar," he told her, understanding what the Benden Weyrwoman meant. He was not bothered by his brothers' proclivities as many Holdbred men might be, but he knew that their needs would never have been met at Ista Hold. Telling enough of the attitudes of Holders towards many green- and blueriders was that their father had disowned the two young men not long after their Impressions.

"Every rider and every resident has a place in Benden Weyr. When the Pass begins, everyone here will be integral to how this Weyr performs its duty to Pern," Weyrwoman Hilaina told him firmly.

He nodded in agreement at such a sentiment and then took a sip of klah, cooled to an appropriately hot temperature for consumption. "I hope the same can be said for Fort. The Pass is Turns away, but …"

"When the Pass comes, I hope Fort has a new Weyrleader," Hilaina said somewhat caustically. L'shev nodded again and sipped on his klah. Hilaina followed his example. They sat silently for some time, each looking over the hides. When she had finished her mug, she finally passed to him the hide containing information on Benden Hold. He glanced over it as he finished his mug.

"There are, like I said, several overpopulated small Holds in the mountains. The ones I've circled in red have high populations of boys and young men of an age to be Searched. We have found suitable candidates at some of them."

"Thank you, Weyrwoman Hilaina," L'shev responded when she had finished her explanation. "This is really more than I would have expected and I am grateful for it."

"You will go to Bitra this afternoon?" Hilaina asked him eagerly.

"Yes, ma'am, I believe I will," he responded.

"Should I send my son with you, if you'll be looking amidst the smaller Holds?"

L'shev slowly gathered the four scraps of hide into a neat stack. "I think I will go to Bitra Hold today, and split my wing in half. My wingsecond's brown is capable of Search, and I have three other sensitive dragons in my wing. I'll hand him the hide on Bitra and the map."

Hilaina nodded slowly but said something

L'shev smiled at her as a thought occurred to him. "Does your nephew know the small Bitran Holds well enough to aid us?"

The Weyrwoman brightened at the idea. "Yes, actually, he should know them well enough. Shall I have Tantanath send him to Bitra Hold?"

"That would be appreciated, ma'am," L'shev responded as he tugged his gloves back onto his hands. He rolled the hides up in his left hand.

"He will be there shortly. I suggest getting yourself and your wing there as soon as possible," Weyrwoman Hilaina stood up and L'shev pushed back from his seat to bow to her. He stuffed the hides into a loop of his belt. She gave him a slightly disapproving look, "Don't lose those between."

L'shev grinned sheepishly and bowed again, and the two set out of from the weyr to the ledge where Ulminth was lazily sunning himself in a most obstructive location.

"Ulminth!" L'shev shouted, and the bronze rolled onto all fours, dipping a shoulder for his rider to mount. Weyrwoman Hilaina waved farewell to him, and L'shev saluted her as he privately told his dragon, _Have our wing ready to jump between to Bitra when I give you the coordinates._

Ulminth rumbled his agreement as he hefted himself airborne. L'shev visualized Bitra Hold and he heard Ulminth call to their wing.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**__: And … the plot thickens! Dun dun dun! :) _

_Hope folks enjoyed this chapter._

_Also, I just wanted to thank those of you who are reading and reviewing. I enjoy your reviews and anything constructive you have for me. Those registered on the website, please feel free to PM me!_


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